The present invention relates to extensible passenger loading bridge and more particularly to extensible passenger loading bridge comprising an extensible platform adaptable to small commuter aircraft for allowing safe boarding and deplaning of passengers.
The aircrafts customarily utilized in regional commuter service and general aviation are smaller than commercial jet aircraft. Their door openings are closer to the tarmac and the doors are designed to include their own stairs and handrails. The doors open outwardly and swing downwardly from the aircraft to the tarmac. The stairs and their associated rails are dragged along with the door toward the tarmac, which place the stairs in an appropriate position to be used by the passengers. Even if such a system is well conceived, the use of stairs for boarding or deplaning is limiting if not forbidding the accessibility of a small aircraft for many physically impaired people. U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,510 to Houle disclosed a wheelchair passenger device in the form of a cab that can be elevated to the level of an aircraft floor. Such a device is not applicable to small aircraft because the doors are equipped with stairs. Identically, the presence of the stairs and rails block the approach of any boarding bridge currently in use in airports. Moreover, many bridges are not compatible with the level that would allow access to the entry door of these small aircrafts.
For security purposes, it is also important to address such a problem. Indeed, without a loading bridge adaptable to these small aircraft, the passengers have to cross the space between a terminal of an airport and the aircraft by walking in the open on the tarmac surrounded by the aircrafts noise, gas smell, under the rain or the snow or a burning sun, depending of the weather conditions. It is dangerous to have to circulate on the tarmac. It is an important issue to insure that the passengers reach the plane or the terminal in a safe condition.
Many types of loading systems or safety device have already been disclosed (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,603,343; 3,983,590; 4,620,339; 4,715077; 5,040,257; 5,257,431; 4,852,197; 4,110,859). However, they are adapted to large aircraft which have no stairs attached to their doors. As such, airports are equipped with such loading systems that allow passengers to board and deplane safely. The interface between the loading bridge and the aircraft, or the canopy has an aperture which size is compatible with doors of large aircrafts. For an economical purpose, it would be worthwhile to modify the existing interface of such a loading bridge to adapt it to small aircraft whose doors are differently conceived.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,318 to Thomas, a mobile self-propelled aircraft loading bridge adaptor for bridging between small aircraft and the conventional bridge entry ways provided at airports for use with standard size jets and similar aircraft is disclosed. The bridge is supported by adjustable lifts that provide independent elevation and lowering of the parts of the bridge connected to the lifts.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,757 to Mitchell et al., a passenger boarding bridge for providing a passageway from an aircraft to a passenger terminal including a cab section with a floor is disclosed. The floor section of the bridge is provided with a cutout portion that can accommodate the stair components of commuter aircraft. The adaptor of Mitchell comprises many parts that have to slide or move relatively to each other. Therefore, it necessitates a lot of maintenance to be adapted to a small aircraft or to be reconfigured to fit larger aircrafts. An alternative is to construct a new bridge for exclusive use with small aircraft.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,789 to Stephenson et al., an aircraft passenger boarding bridge system including a cab portion laterally slidable and retractable floor members is disclosed. The system provides access between an airport terminal and transporting aircraft of differing size and specifications, such as large commercial airliners, smaller commuter jets, and turbo prop aircraft. However, the system necessitates a lot of adaptations to accommodate such a variety of aircrafts. For example, the cab portion has sliding means to be adapted and eventually removed from the boarding bridge; this implies that the end of the boarding bridge in contact with the cab should also be modified to receive such a cab. Furthermore, the cab is equipped with many retractable floor members and optionally a pivoting floor to maintain a level position relative to the ground. Suitable means, preferably electric motors and associated controls, also have to be provided to operate the retracting floor members and the side shift feature. Therefore, the aircraft passenger boarding bridge system necessitates a lot of maintenance to be adapted to a small aircraft or to be reconfigured to fit larger aircrafts.
For an economical purpose, and to avoid having a plurality of bridges, limiting the maintenance and space required for positioning of bridges, an interface easily adaptable to existing loading bridges that overcomes the above disadvantages would be advantageous.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an interface capable of functioning with a variety of aircraft and overcoming some of the above disadvantages.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a passenger loading bridge ensuring a safe passage of passengers while they are boarding or deplaning.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a passenger loading bridge interface for accommodating aircraft having a door equipped with a stairs. The passenger loading bridge interface comprises:
a first edge for connection to a passenger loading bridge;
a second edge for mating with an aircraft having at least a first portion of a size sufficient to mate with the door of the aircraft and a second portion being movable into at least an extended position for mating with an aircraft having a door with a top step approximately coplanar with the aircraft floor when the first portion engages the top step and an other than extended position for mating with an aircraft having a door absent a top step approximately coplanar with the aircraft floor when the first portion engages the airplane above the first step, the first and second edge delineating a floor; and,
a drive for moving the second portion between the extended position and the other than extended position.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a passenger loading bridge interface for accommodating aircraft having a door equipped with a stairs. The passenger loading bridge interface comprises:
a first edge for connection to a passenger loading bridge; and,
a second edge for mating with an aircraft having at least a first portion of a size sufficient to mate with the door of the aircraft and a second portion being movable into at least an extended position for mating with an aircraft having a door with a top step approximately coplanar with the aircraft floor when the first portion engages the top step and an other than extended position for mating with an aircraft having a door absent a top step approximately coplanar with the aircraft floor when the first portion engages the airplane above the first step, the first and second edge delineating a floor.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a passenger loading bridge interface for accommodating aircraft having a door equipped with a stairs. The passenger loading bridge interface comprises:
a first edge for connection to a passenger loading bridge;
a second edge for mating with an aircraft having at least a first portion of a size sufficient to mate with the door of the aircraft and a second portion being movable into at least an extended position for mating with an aircraft having a door with a top step approximately coplanar with the aircraft floor when the first portion engages the top step and an other than extended position for mating with an aircraft having a door absent a top step approximately coplanar with the aircraft floor when the first portion engages the airplane above the first step, the first and second edge delineating a floor;
a mechanism for positioning the second portion in the extended position and in the other than extended position;
a further mechanism for extending a first side of the second portion and a second further mechanism for extending a second opposing side of the second portion independent of the first side of the second portion; and
whereby upon a curvature of an aircraft the further mechanism and the second further mechanism allow an angled contact between the aircraft side and the second portion.